I was recently pausing in my life to reflect on the great men who have poured into my life over the years and I got to thinking…Why don’t more people seek out strong mentors?

Now I should clarify between a mentor and someone who has good intentions. There are a lot of people in your life, most likely, that have good intentions for you, but really, are they capable of mentoring you? I think of a mentor as someone who not only has your best interests at heart but also and very importantly, can help you reach your life goals. And it doesn’t stop there with qualifying as a mentor. I would encourage everyone to read the book The Ten Critical Laws of Relationship by Robb D. Thompson.

The first chapter of the book will give you a great foundation to understand the importance of finding and selecting a mentor for your life. For example, here’s a little nugget for you:

Examining another man’s character is not wrong. In order to ensure that future relationships will benefit your life, you must be willing to examine others. Many of you reading this may find it difficult to do so, because you think,”Who am I, that I can examine another?” I understand where you are coming from. But I have realized the the quality of my life is greatly dependent upon those I call “friend”.

Low self-esteem has plagued so many of us. Because of poor self-image, we have befriended people who have either exploited us or, at best, just used us. We find it hard to believe that anyone of good standing would want to be in relationship with us. This self-devaluation is probably the single greatest cause of poor relationships.

So the question is, are you thankful for the people in your life? Have you reached out to someone you respect and sought out their advice? Are you going to surround yourself with people of high integrity and character?

Thank you to the men in my life who have guided me so far and will take me to great places in my life. Thank you Jeff Joiner. Thank you Vince Rush. Thank you Alan Leininger. Thank you Lloyd O’Dell. Thank you Jim Raines. Each of you have made me a better person. My hopeful prayer is that I can pay it forward to my community by applying what each of you has taught me and continues to pour into me.